dainty
Americanadjective
-
of delicate beauty; exquisite.
a dainty lace handkerchief.
- Synonyms:
- fine
-
pleasing to the taste and, often, temptingly served or delicate; delicious.
dainty pastries.
- Synonyms:
- scrumptious, mouth-watering, delectable, tender
-
of delicate discrimination or taste; particular.
a dainty eater.
-
overly particular; finicky; fastidious.
- Synonyms:
- overnice
noun
adjective
-
delicate or elegant
a dainty teacup
-
pleasing to the taste; choice; delicious
a dainty morsel
-
refined, esp excessively genteel; fastidious
noun
Synonym Usage
See delicate. See particular.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
daintinessnoun
-
overdaintinessnoun
-
undaintinessnoun
-
overdaintyadjective
-
superdaintyadjective
-
undaintyadjective
-
daintilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of dainty
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun deinte, dainte, dente “worthiness, happiness, delicacy,” from Anglo-French deinte, Old French deint(i)e, from Latin dignitāt- (stem of dignitās ); the adjective is derivative of the noun; see dignity
Explanation
Dainty means tiny, delicate, and lovely, so you could describe a little china tea set as dainty, and you could also call the tiny cakes on the little plates dainty. The original meaning of dainty, back in the 1300s, was "choice morsel of food," and it's still used that way to talk about a delicacy or a treat. More often, dainty is used as an adjective to describe something that's delicate and lovely in a complimentary way.
Vocabulary lists containing dainty
List 5
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"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This statue yassifies Trump, sucking out his buccal fat, virilizing his features, carefully excising all of the dainty feyness that, whether he likes it or not, is crucial to capturing the unique Trump disposition.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
Spaced closely in the footwell, three dainty foot pedals make it possible for drivers to push the gas pedal with the side of the right foot while holding down the brake pedal and clutching—heel-and-toe downshifting.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
"It's crazy as our websites are completely different. I sell sterling silver, dainty pieces and engagement jewellery," she said.
From BBC • Oct. 10, 2025
To some, they conjure ideas of haute cuisine fuss — dainty smears, baby food textures, or unnecessary embellishment.
From Salon • May 16, 2025
The judges take dainty bites and jot down notes.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
